Differential or compensating gearing.



E. 1. eouu DIFFERENTIAL 0R COMPENSATING GEARING.

' APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23. I914.

mgwm Patented Apr.10,1917.

EDWIN J. GOULD, OF SAN DIEGO, GALIFOBNIA.

DIFFERENTIAL 0R COMPENSATING GEARING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1ND, 11917.

Application filed November 23, 1914. Serial No. 873,514.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN J. GOULD, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Diego, in the county of San Diego and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Differential or Compensating Gearing, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in difi'erential or compensating gearing and it has for its objects among others to provide a simple novel form of gearing designed not to make a difference in driving but to compensate or allow for the difference in distance traveled by the 'wheels in turning curves, and while permitting this, to drive as near as possible as would a stifi' axle, by applying the power equally to each wheel the one wheel being allowed to rotate faster than the other wheel.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, with the numeralsof reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a substantially central transverse section as on the line 11 of Fig. 2 showing the arrangement ofparts in accordance with my present invention.

Fig. 2 is a section at right angles to Fig. 1 with parts in elevation and portions broken away.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the diiferent views.

Referring to the drawin 1, 1 designate the adjacent ends of the axle sections, 2 an eccentric fast on the axle section 1, while 3 is a spur pinion on the axle section 1.

4 is an internally'toothed gear and eccentrio guide combined, preferably in one piece or at least arranged to move as one. If desired, ball bearings, as at 5, may be interposed between the eccentric 2 and the guide 4, aslseen in Figs. 1 and 2.

6 1s a casing inclosing the afore-named parts, said casing having a radial slot 7 in its opposite walls, as seen in both views, and working in this slot in the pin or bolt -8 extending through the internally toothed gear and eccentric guide 4. as seen in Figs. 1 and '2, the bolt being designed to travel in and out in said slot as it is moved by the eccentric.

With the parts constructed and arranged substantially as above described, and with the understanding that the shafts 1 and 1 are attached to the rear wheels of the vehicle, the operation will be readily understood when taken in connection with the annexed drawings. Power is applied to the axle section 1 Suppose the casing 6 remains stationary and the axle section 1 to which the eccentric 2 is fastened is rotated in the direction of the arrow thereon in Fig.

'2, the change of bulge or the long center of the eccentric in its position with relation to the bearing of the eccentric or guide 4 is changed in its relation tothe casing 6 as to cause the pin 8 to travel in the slot 7 the motion of the eccentric being circular and the bearing or eccentric guide being given a circular swinging motion, which motion tends to make it travel around the pinion 3, but being prevented from actual travel around said pinion by the pin 8, the pinion will be necessarily rotated in the direction of the arrow thereon in Fig. 2 or in an opposite direction from that of the eccentric; this is a perfect differential action. When the eccentrio is not rotated but motion comes from the axle section carrying the pinion, the action is similar, but directions are reversed. In other words, the two axle sections, one bearing the eccentric and the other bearing the pinion cannot travel in the same direction in the casing, but travel in opposite directions. The eccentric travels in the eccentric guide by what may be termed a' slipping motion, while the pinion can travel only in a rolling motion because of the teeth.

The eccentric guide, as will be best understood upon reference to Fig. 2, consists of an internally toothed gear without a center, or a hollowrim toothed internally for half itswidth and half being smooth for a-bearing. The teeth may be straight spur teeth or arranged in the form of a spiral or worm. I have obtained best results from the latter, as the action in driving one wheel independent of the traction of the other is more certain. It will be noted that the internal gear is always in its true position, being so held by the eccentric.

In operation the internal gear has an oscillating as well as a rotary movement. The two gears are held 111 mesh by the ((Ctlltl'lC and actuated by change in position of the eccentric acting upon the eccentric guide 4.

My present invention is distinguished from the present form of differential gears in that while in the usual form the power goes to the wheel with the least resistance and in turning curves this, of course, would be the outside wheel, while in the present construction such action does not take place because of the friction within itself, and this is especially so when spiral internal teeth and pinion are used. My present device is not designed to run wheels at different speeds at all times or to apply more power to one than to the other because the diameter of the pinion on one axle section and the eccentric on the other are slightly different, this slight difference in size being taken care of in actual practice by the friction of the eccentric in 'its bearing and the application of power to each axle section, both in running straight and turning, being practically equal.

A device constructed in accordance with my present invention is what may be termed an interlocking driving device, which releases and adjusts itself to the difference in distance traveled by the wheels on curves and around corners by the action of the toothed gear wheels and the eccentric, the

. p1nion and internal gear guide having a rolling motion in relation to each other because of the teeth and the eccentric and its bearing having a sliding motion relative to each other, and the internal gear and eccentric bearing being rigid with each other, the one motion must take place to admit of the other. In drivin straight, the whole mechanism revolves wlth the axle but the eccentric and gear stand in relation to each other, while in turning curves they move very slowly in their relative positions as the difference in distance traveled by the wheels is in any case slight.

When ball bearings are introduced between the eccentric and eccentric guide, it constitutes a good reverse gear having much strength because of the many teeth engaged at one time between the internal gear and pinion. This also would hold true in the use of the device in transmissions of the planetary type.

gear and eccentric to constitute an interlocking driving device.

2. A transmission gear comprising in combination a gear and an eccentric mounted for movement independent of each other and means cooperating with and serving to constitute with said ear and eccentric an interlocking driving evice. 1

3. A transmission gear comprising in combination a gearand an eccentric adapted to be mounted on coaxial, independent axle sections, and means cooperating with said gear and eccentric for causing them to have different motions in unison.

4. A transmission gear embodying axle sections, an eccentric fast upon one section, a pinion on the other section and an internally toothed gear meshing with said pinion and forming a guide for the eccentric.

5. A transmission gear embodying axle sections, an eccentric ast upon one section, a pinion fast upon the other section and an internally toothed gear meshing with said pinion and forming a guide for the eccentric and a casing in which said internal gear is radially movable.

6. A transmission ear comprising an eccentric, a bearing t erefor, a pinion and means to cause the eccentric and its bearing to have a sliding motion relative to each other. 7

.7. A transmission gear comprising an eccentric, a bearing therefor, a pinion and means to cause the eccentric and its bearing to have a sliding motion relative to each' other, said pinion and eccentric moving in opposite directions, and the bearing movable radially.

8. In a differential gear, a casing having radial slots, an internally toothed gear and eccentric guide in said casing, means carried thereby movable in said slots ermitting radial movement of the latter, a pinion within said gear and guide engageable with the said gear, and an eccentric within said gear and guide movable in a direction opposite to that of the pinion.

9. In a transmission ear, a casing having radial slots, an interna 1y toothed gear and eccentric guide having pins, radially movable in said slots permittlng radial movement of said guide, said gear having an un toothed portion, an axle section an eccentric thereon having bearing on sa1d untoothed portion, a second axle section, and a pinion thereon having engagement with the teeth of said gear.

10. In transmission gearing, two axle sections, an eccentric carried by one, a pinion carried by the other and an internal gear and eccentric guide, said eccentric having a slipping motion within the ids and the pinion a rolling motion within the gear.

11. In transmission gear, a casing, an eccentric therein for attachment to an axle 10 said guide, an eccentric in said casing Within said guide, and means permitting said guide to have an oscillatory and a rotary movement.

In testimony whereof I affix m signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

EDWIN J GOULD.

Witnesses:

E. J. WEIsER, ALBERT M. LANE. 

